According to persons with knowledge of the situation, Apple Inc. is testing the use of 3D printers to make the steel chassis used by some of its future smartwatches, signaling a significant change in the company’s manufacturing process.
The method would eliminate the need to mold massive slabs of metal into the desired product. The people, who requested anonymity because the plan is confidential.
Claimed that by using less material, it would speed up the construction of gadgets while simultaneously benefiting the environment.
The new strategy may simplify Apple’s supply chain and signal the beginning of a wider transformation. According to the people, if the work with Apple Watches goes according to plan.
The tech giant will try to expand the technique to new devices over the following few years. The Cupertino, California-based company’s representative declined to comment.
Apple Tests Using 3D Printers
The method would eliminate the need to mold massive slabs of metal into the desired product. The people, who requested anonymity because the plan is confidential.
Laimed that by using less material, it would speed up the construction of gadgets while simultaneously benefiting the environment.
Apple has so far produced its stainless-steel watches, which make up around 10% of the line’s overall sales, using a more traditional production method.
Bricks of material are form into a smaller block of metal that is roughly the size of the gadget using a process called forging.
The precise design and button holes are then carve into the metal using a CNC (computer numerical control) machine.
The general shape of the device, or what is refer to in manufacturing as the “near net shape,” is created using the new method using a sort of 3D printing called binder jetting.
A powdered component is use to create the print.
It is then put through a process known as sintering. That transforms the material into what feels like conventional steel by applying pressure and heat.
After that, milling is perform using the exact design and cutouts as in the first step.
Companies that specialize in 3D printing, such Stratasys Ltd. and 3D Systems Corp., benefited from the news. Shares of 3D Systems surged up to 10%, while those of Stratasys increased 6.9%.
Later, the stocks reduced their gains. In New York, Apple was up 1.8% to $187.46 as of 2:48 PM.
For at least three years, Apple and its suppliers have been quietly perfecting the method.
They’ve been testing the procedure over the past few months with steel cases intend for the Apple Watch Series 9, which will be introduced on September 12.
According to, the wristwatch will have improved performance and new case colors, but its appearance will essentially remain the same.
There is no certainty that the new manufacturing method will be used to produce the initial consumer shipments of the steel Apple Watches.
But the test run implies the corporation is committes to the strategy.
Apple will also use the technology to produce their titanium Ultra watch, but this change won’t take place until 2024.
The method helps the environment because it only utilizes about as much metal as is require to make the device enclosures.
According to other people with knowledge of the situation, Apple is going to substitute new materials for leather in some of its forthcoming iPhone covers and other accessories as part of an effort to be more environmentally friendly.
The production design team at Apple, which is direct by company vice president Rob York and answers to operations chief Sabih Khan, is in charge of the 3D printing process.
Although switching to 3D-printed watch casings has been costly for Apple and its suppliers. Over time it should prove to streamline production and maybe result in lower costs.
Apple Tests Using 3D Printers
For the time being, the price per watch case with the new procedure is comparable. To that of the earlier procedure.
The project is still in its early stages; therefore, it will initially only be use for lower-volume products. Stainless steel is less common than aluminum for Apple Watch cases.
The company hasn’t made much progress in mass-producing enclosures made of that material. Which is also use in cheaper iPhones, iPads, and Macs.
However, the business is thinking of incorporating 3D-printable materials like steel and titanium into future gadgets.
The project is one of the earliest instances of binder jetting being use to mass-produce. A metal object in large quantities.
It’s becoming a trend for the business to use the Apple Watch as a test bed for new technology. For instance, two years after the first Apple Watch debuted with steel frames.
Apple added them to the iPhone. A year after titanium made its debut on the Apple Watch Ultra. The high-end iPhones of this year will also feature the material.
